Table games are known to be a part of many societies. Generally, these games can be classified into two groups: ones incorporating interaction of an individual with a dealer (such are the majority of the casino games, e.g., blackjack or roulette) and the others, hereinafter referred to as tournament games, where a participant, which can be an individual or a team, competes only with another participant or team. Another important feature of the tournament games as opposed to casino games is participation of a human factor such as visual interaction between the players, as well as their mathematical and psychological strategies. In this case, the strategy might have the same influence on the outcome of the game as the initial random combination of factors such as a card combination in the hand of each player. For example, a poker player can “bluff” by betting he/she has the best hand when in fact he/she does not and may win by bluffing if players holding superior hands will not call his bet.
Both mentioned types of the table games usually require the presence of a human operator, known as a dealer or croupier (hereinafter referred to as dealer). It should be noted that the role of such a dealer in casino games and tournament games is different. In the first case, a dealer may represent interests of the casino. For example, in a game of roulette the casino wins when the ball hits 0. In the second case, a random combination generator accomplishes the role of the dealer. In some game arrangements once in a game every player assumes the role of a dealer. Due to the requirement of the dealer having to maintain full control including supervising players, taking bets, determining the outcome of the game, calculating and paying winnings, collecting losses and all the while trying to be aware of any instances of cheating, the number of players per table has to be limited so as not to overtax the dealer. Accordingly, the overall profit of the casino or the club where the game takes place derived from the game is limited because the ratio between the dealer's salary and the income generated from the players is not high.
In all the table games described above, all actions, including players betting, game outcome determination, calculation of winners and losers and subsequent settlement, are conducted manually. This presents a number of problems. Firstly, mistakes can be made by the player in placing a bet, resulting in an invalid bet, while mistakes may be made by the dealer in determining winners and more particularly, in calculating and paying out wins.
Many attempts have been taken to automate the job of a dealer. One of the approaches is incorporation of the game machines, such as one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,695,695, issued in 2002 to Mark Angel. It discloses one of the variations of the electronic card game, in particular a variation of the game known as “video poker”. This video-implemented casino card game deals multiple hands. In a preferred embodiment it includes means for simulating a plurality of players on a game display. Each simulated player is dealt a hand of cards pursuant to a predetermined card game selected by a game player. Subsequent to the initial deal, the game player selects which hand to play. Once the hand has been selected, each hand is fully played. Only the game player's hand is fully revealed during play. Based on the game player's final cards, the player is paid according to a pay table. Thereafter, all hands are revealed and the game player is paid a bonus amount if the player's selected hand is the highest hand of the dealt hands. In a card game requiring a draw, or decision, unselected card hands are played according to a preprogrammed methodology within a gaming machine's internal microprocessor. Such a game replaces a dealer with a random (in reality—pseudo-random) sequence generator; however, being individual by nature it does not allow real interaction between the physical players and therefore cannot be used for the tournaments. All the participants of such a video game but one are simulated by a computer and all the psychological strategic parts of the game that constitute an important element of, i.e. poker, is eliminated since there is no human-to-human interaction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,866, issued in 2003 to B. Frost et al. discloses an automated game table, in the preferred embodiment described as a table for roulette. In this apparatus, physical persons that participate in the game are provided with an electronic interface through which the players interact with a dealer. Such a table allows a multiple player arrangement, where the players place bets, and wins or losses are calculated using electronic means, while the game itself is conducted using traditional, manual systems operated by a dealer. The problem of such an arrangement is that despite the dealer need not watch for irregularities or calculate wins and losses, he/she still needs to physically conduct the game elements—for example, spinning a roulette wheel or tossing the cards.
Since the electronic table of the last-mentioned type incorporates a live dealer as an indispensable participant of the game, such table is inconvenient for use in multiple-table tournament games, e.g. poker, where there is no necessity to incorporate the actions of the dealer. More over, participation of several dealers (e.g., one per table) or of a common dealer for a plurality of tables, will impart additional complexity to the game and may lead to human errors.